Girl with a Pearl Earring artwork attacked at museum in The Hague
The 1665 masterpiece has not been damaged, the Dutch press says
Climate activists targeted Dutch master Johannes Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring at a museum in The Hague, Dutch broadcaster NOS reported on Thursday, but the artwork was apparently not damaged.
The artwork at the Mauritshuis in The Hague was not believed to be damaged, Dutch news agency ANP reported.
Video circulating on social media appears to show two men in Just Stop Oil T-shirts glueing their hands to the wall next to the painting. One appears to be trying to glue his forehead to it.
In the footage, one man says: “How do you feel when you see something beautiful and priceless being apparently destroyed?
“Where is that feeling when you see the planet being destroyed before our very eyes?”
A number of museum patrons appear to heckle the men, with one calling the pair “stupid” and “obscene”.
The painting, which has an estimated value of £72.5m and is made from oil on canvas, is protected by a glass cover.
One of the activists, Phoebe Plummer, 21, shouted: “What is worth more, art or life? Is it worth more than food? More than justice?
“Are you more concerned about the protection of a painting, or the protection of our planet and people?”
“The police were notified and three people have been arrested. The condition of the painting was inspected by our restorer. Fortunately, the glass-covered masterwork was not damaged,” a statement from the museum said. “Art is defenceless and we condemn all attempts to damage it, for whatever reason. We will not make any further comment because we don’t want to honour this action with extra attention.”
Dutch police said three arrests had been made at a museum, but provided no details. The two men in the video were seen being escorted away by police in more footage.
Two weeks ago activists threw tomato soup over Vincent Van Gogh’s masterpiece Sunflowers at the National Gallery in London.
Two women wearing “Just Stop Oil” T-shirts entered a gallery room in Trafalgar Square at about 11am on Friday 14 October and threw two tins of Heinz at the painting, before glueing their hands to the wall.
And three days ago four people arrested after Just Stop Oil protesters threw cake over King Charles III’s waxwork statue at Madame Tussauds.